Dr. Jabari Cain's Posts - Mercer PEN (Professional Education Network)

Web 2.0 Online Resource Review - Engrade

2010-10-07T19:30:00.000Z

During my years as an elementary school teacher my school did not have the privilege of an online database for students records, grades, attendance, lunch count, etc. Instead I used some software that I purchased to gather information about my students, specifically for grading. When it came time to discuss grades with parents, I would print the information off right from my computer. This was the best I could do at the time, but there have been a lot of improvements in the web compared to seven years ago.

With so much free software on the Internet now days, this is a teacher's paradise. I recently stumbled across an online gradebook by the name of Engrade that is perfect for the PK-12th school teacher. With Engrade you are able to track grades, attendance, monthly class schedule and even citizenship. All this data is secured, so you do not have to worry about students information being unintentionally exposed. Parents and students can also sign in to their Engrade account to check assignments, schedule, etc.

Here is an example video of setting up an Engrade class, but a better introduction video can be found at www.engrade.com or http://www.engrade.com/home-demo.php.

This is a wonderful resource that I wish I had around as a teacher. Feel free to give Engrade a try!!!

Hardware Review - Flip Cameras

2010-08-09T15:30:00.000Z

When I first arrived at Mercer University, I knew nothing about the Flip Camera. In Nebraska we pretty much relied on the larger hand cameras by Sony, Cannon, etc. I was impressed with the Flip's size, portability, video quality, two AA batteries/battery life, and of course THE PRICE ($150):-) . The Flip records in a digital format, so your footage can be imported into your computer without any type of file conversion. There is also digital editing software included to make movies.

Our department chair Cathy Gardner surprisingly purchased Flip cameras for the faculty of 2009:-) I keep my Flip available at all times to record footage when needed.

I was so impressed that I recently upgraded my Flip Ultra to the newer Mino HD model. I actually purchased it because one of my students in Douglas had one and I did not:-) The price is slightly higher, but the video quality is better, it has a rechargeable battery and is much slimmer than the Flip Ultra.

Whatever your choice, you can not go wrong with purchasing a Flip Camera for educational/personal purposes.

You can find out more information here: http://www.theflip.com/en-us/

Software Review - Inspiration

2010-01-04T14:30:00.000Z

One of the most commonly used applications in the Professional Development Seminar (PDS) classes is an application by the name of Inspiration. Inspiration is a concept mapping application that helps the user visualize ideas and show relations between them.

Students enrolled in PDS within the Early Childhood and Special Education Program use the application to create concept maps for their Junior/Senior block. This includes the Foundations of Literacy Block, The Integration of Literacy Within the Content Areas Block and the Assessment and Curriculum Block. Below is an outstanding example of how a student was able to use the Inspiration software to complete one of her concept maps.

I personally like how easy it is to create the concept maps within Inspiration. There are not a ton of features to get overwhelmed with, so frustration should be minimal. You simply click on the “Create” button to insert the various symbols and these symbols can be linked together. Check out the video below for a brief live demonstration.

MercerTEN - Inspiration from Jabari Cain on Vimeo.

Inspiration can be used in a variety of subject areas including Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Math. In the past I have used Inspiration to create flowcharts and to create outlines. Here is a link to examples of how others in the field of education have integrated Inspiration into their curriculum:

http://inspiration.com/Examples/Inspiration

Inspiration can be downloaded from the following link and also has a free 30-day trial. This application is cross platform, so the software can be install on the Windows or Apple operating system. If you have never used Inspiration, I would definitely give it a try to see how this type of software can be integrated into your classroom.

Click here for the free 30-Day Trial of Inspiration

Dr. Cain's Educational Technology Blog

2009-12-16T16:00:00.000Z

This is my first blog posting on MercerPEN and I plan on devoting a majority of my postings to Educational Technology. My blog will include reviews of software/hardware for the classroom, some instructional videos from time to time, technology related resources, etc. Feel free to post any comments/suggestions/ideas!!! I really enjoy spreading the word about useful software/hardware that can be applied in the classroom for teachers and their students. The world of technology continues to grow at a rapid pace and I always do my best to keep up. This can be very hard at times and always remember it is not always about how much technology you know, but instead, how you use it. In my free time I usually read a lot of technology related RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, read educational technology journals, theory related technology books, etc. This helps me to stay up to date and cognizant of the field of educational technology.

Continue to view with my blog on MercerPEN and my goal is to help to provide some ideas for your classroom.

- Dr. Cain